Day: June 28, 2021

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Dialogue needed among social organizations on contemporary challenges: Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

Lahore, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): MQI President Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri has said that the danger of extremism and terrorism is still lurking. He said that the terrorist incident in Lahore augurs ill and must ring the alarm bells. He said that terrorists and terrorist thinking have not been eliminated wholly, and it is for this reason that the people and law enforcement agencies will have to keep their eyes wide open.

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri said that in view of the changing social, economic and regional circumstances, it is important that social movements engage one another in a dialogue. He said that Islam has provided guidance on every subject, adding that these teachings need to be communicated to the world in line with the contemporary requirements. He said that the religious scholars, intellectuals and the experts of religious sciences have a central role to play in this mission.

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri congratulated the Directorate of Training for arranging a four-day international conference and stated that religious and social movements should exchange views candidly for the solution of the problems facing the Muslim world. Meanwhile, MQI’s Directorate of Training has organized a four-day online seminar on the subject of the role of religious organizations in the changing world from June 27 onward.

The seminar will conclude on June 30. The scholars of international repute will deliver lectures. Those who have been invited to speak at the event include MQI President Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Mufti Irshad Saeedi, Allama Muhammad Ramzan Qadri, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed Raza Baghdadi, Allama Rana Muhammad Idrees, Allama Sadiq Qureshi and MQI Secretary-General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur. These guests will deliver online lectures on the topics of internal and external dynamics responsible for the spread of extremism in Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI)
365 M, Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-140-140
Tel: +92-42-35169111
Email: tehreek@minhaj.org
Website: www.minhaj.org

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Khurram Nawaz Gandapur bemoans government’s lack of interest in Model Town case

Lahore, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has said that on their failure to respond to the Opposition’s queries on TV talk shows, the government ministers and the members of the ruling party taunt the Opposition about the Model Town case and consider it the act of great oppression by the Sharif brothers. He said that there is no denying the fact that Model Town tragedy was the worst state terrorism which deserves to be condemned in the harshest possible words. He noted with great dismay that no progress on the case has taken place in the PTI government.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that the human blood was shed yesterday and today it is the turn of justice which is being killed in broad daylight. He said that if the government ministers cannot do much by way of dispensing justice in the Model Town case, then they should stop using the tragedy for their ulterior political purposes. He said that we are sufficient to wage the battle for justice.

PAT Secretary General said that the government ministers hold the Sharif-era bureaucracy responsible for the lack of progress, accusing it of creating hurdles in the way. He said that it is a weak argument that does not hold any weight. He said the current lot of officers working in Punjab have been appointed after the approval of the PM and CM Punjab. He said that if bureaucrats are not following the government policies, then the government also has the power to transfer them. He said that lamenting about powerlessness does not make any sense nor will anyone accept this logic.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that if civil servants are not cooperating with the government and the latter are unable to change the former, then the ministers have no right to stay in their offices. He said that the seventh anniversary of Model Town tragedy was observed on June 17 in which the PTI office-holders were also invited to express their solidarity but none of them showed up.

PAT Secretary General said that PM Imran Khan did not even bother to post a single tweet for the provision of justice to the Model Town victims. He said that the time does not remain the same. He said when the reign of the accused in the Model Town case has passed, this period too will end one day. He said that Imran Khan has the power to wipe out the tears of the oppressed today, adding that his comforting words and statements will not be needed once his time goes away. He said that we are struggling for justice day in and day out and their families and our struggle will go on till justice is provided.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)
365-M, Model Town,
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-140-140
Email: info@pat.com.pk
Website: www.pat.com.pk

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Investigation demanded on the issue who was aboard airplane to Israel: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Islamabad, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, responding to a question about Imran Khan’s close friend visiting Israel said that the media should investigate why an airplane in November went to Israel from Pakistan and stayed there for ten hours. We are demanding that if this airplane took off from another country, it should also be investigated. Chairman Bilawal said the news outlets there reported that Imran Khan’s close friend and special assistant was the one aboard the airplane, for whom Imran Khan had arranged for an NRO during the elections.

This information should come before the nation now. We have concerns regarding what is done in the darkness of the night. If an airplane did not pick up Zulfi Bukhari then who did it pick up? We have a very strong relation with Palestine and the decision about Palestine will be taken by Palestinian. When asked about the situation in the Sindh assembly, Chairman Bilawal said that just like there are non-serious people in Islamabad, they are also there in the Sindh assembly, who still think that they are on containers.

The opposition members in the Sindh assembly should be asked why they not moved a single cut motion during the budget debate. You must have seen the seriousness of the PPP members in the National assembly who presented cut motions. We hope that the speaker Sindh assembly maintains the dignity there. Such actions should have not been done in the assembly where the Pakistan resolution was passed. I hope that the speaker will take serious action against everyone who is involved in such matters.

Regarding lending airbases to United States, he said that we do not take Imran Khan’s statements seriously because he has taken a U-turn on every stance since coming into politics. We will be briefed about the issue in a meeting of national security committee tomorrow. About the Gujjar nullah issue, he said that we respect the decisions of the Supreme Court in regards to the population living there. This is a humanitarian disaster because it affects 96000 people, you are forcibly displacing these people during a pandemic without resettling them or providing them with shelter, only with a negligible amount as compensation.

The United Nations in turn has alarmed us that this is a grave breach of human rights. We also want the Gujjar nullah to be clean and there are other nullahs that should be paid attention as well. No one lives on a nullah happily, these people are there out of sheer need. If we want the nullah to be cleared, this is surely possible but it needs to follow a proper procedure and the right timeframe, during which we can ensure that the people can be provided with houses.

Unfortunately, this is not happening, after the UN report had come, I had called upon the Sindh government and the Sindh cabinet to take notice of the United Nations’ human rights appeal for the people living in Gujjar nullah Karachi. The cabinet and parliament should also discuss this and we should approach the court for it to review its decision. We respect the court and do not wish to contempt it, but we are appealing to it to not forcibly displace Karachi’s poor population. The people being displaced are those with electricity and gas connections, they shouldn’t have to provide a justification for their rights and houses to not be taken away.

Responding to a question about the Kashmir election campaign, Chairman Bilawal said that he is grateful to the population of Gilgit Baltistan who despite the obvious rigging and intervention, voted for and supported PPP. Everyone saw how that seat was snatched from us, but despite that PPP is a democratic party and does not leave space for anyone to carry on with their anti-democratic practices which we know they do.

However, PPP will not leave any space for this to take place freely, we know that the state is using its resources but PPP will still run its campaign democratically and if the ones in government are trying to win with their power, influence, and money, we have Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Peoples Party and we know that the people of Kashmir will support us. In a Twitter message, Chairman Bilawal said that he had demanded on the floor of the house that the Parliament be briefed on the Afghanistan situation by the relevant departments and institutions. We welcome Speaker’s decision and will participate in NSC committee meeting on the topic.

For more information, contact:
PPP Media Cell (Sindh)
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
Peoples Secretariat Shikarpur Colony,
Behind Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Karachi, Pakistan
Cell: +92-305-3370383
Email: contact@ppp-tu.com
Website: https://www.ppp.org.pk

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Punjab Assembly: Twenty-four lawmakers participate in debate on supplementary budget

Islamabad, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): The Punjab Assembly held general discussion on supplementary budget for the year 2020-21 and twenty-four lawmakers participated in it, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on Monday.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the tenth sitting of the 33rd session:

Members’ Participation

The House met for two hours and 47 minutes.

The sitting started at 04:14 pm against the scheduled time of 02:00 pm.

The speaker presided over the sitting for 48 minutes, the deputy speaker for 19 minutes while remaining sitting was chaired by a member of panel of chairpersons.

The leaders of the House (Chief Minister) and the opposition did not attend the sitting.

As many as 73 MPAs (20 percent) were present at the outset and 27 (seven percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.

The parliamentary leader of PPPP and PRHP attended the proceedings.

As many as four out of eight minority lawmakers attended the sitting.

Representation and Responsiveness

Twenty-four lawmakers participated in debate on supplementary budget for the year 2020-21 and consumed two hours and 22 minutes of the proceedings.

Order and Institutionalization

Two lawmakers spoke on points of order for three minutes related to governance issue.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 02:00 pm.

Transparency

‘Orders of the Day’ was available on Assembly’s website.

Information on Members’ attendance is available on Assembly’s website.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

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Level-1 umpiring and match referee course concludes

Lahore, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): As many as 49 cricketers among 346 personnel were part of the online Level-1 Umpiring course for umpires and match referees which took place from 7 to 25 June. These cricketers include Pakistan internationals – Abdul Rauf, Bilal Asif, Salman Butt and Shoaib Khan.

To develop match officials, the PCB has planned to introduce Level 1, 2 and 3 courses for umpires and match referees. In accordance to that the PCB has successfully concluded the phase 1 of the Level-1 course, where the participants were given online lectures on the basic umpiring rules, regulations and laws of the game.

The courses were conducted by PCB’s Elite and Supplementary Panels of Match Referees which also included a question and answers session.

In the second phase, the participants will now undergo written tests, interviews and fitness tests in due course.

The successful candidates will be told to supervise club, school and other matches in their respective City Cricket Associations.

The PCB is committed to providing employment opportunities for former cricketers through such courses and will continue to provide more opportunities in the coming months.

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

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Shadab Khan upbeat about Pakistan living up to its potential in England series

Derby, June 28, 2021 (PPI-OT): Pakistan men’s national cricket team have commenced seven-day preparations for their white-ball UK tour with the first training session of the tour at the Incora Derby Cricket Ground after spending first three days in room isolation.

Pakistan will play England in three ODIs and as many T20Is. The ODIs are part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and currently the two teams are tied on 40 points, with England on the second spot because of a better net run-rate and Pakistan at the third. This is Pakistan’s fifth tour of the UK in the last six years. Overall, they have visited here 11 times for bilateral contests.

Shadab Khan, the national men’s side’s white-ball vice-captain, is excited about the latest tour as he believes the current squad has done well in the last one year and has the desired momentum to beat the world champions. While speaking to www.pcb.com.pk, Shadab Khan made his intentions clear that Pakistan are in England to win.

“Surely, England are the ODI world champions, but we come into the series after playing some good cricket against them in the past.”

“The passion and love of these guys for the game is evident by the energy they have put in in the practice session today. It is great to be reunited as a team after competing against each other in the successful HBL Pakistan Super League 6.

“Of course, English conditions are different from UAE but HBL PSL 6 has given us momentum and rhythm and we would like to keep this momentum going by playing some exciting and competitive cricket.

“If you look at our squad, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq have played extraordinary innings in South Africa. Fakhar has scored two centuries in three matches, while Imam scored two half-centuries which show our opening pair is settled in this format.

“Our middle-order is strong too with Babar Azam – who needs no introduction – and Mohammad Rizwan, who is fresh from winning the HBL PSL 6. Haris Sohail is back in the side having scored over 50 runs per innings in the UK.

“Our bowling department is beefed up by Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali, who are match winners. So we are very confident and hopeful of showing our full potential in the upcoming games.”

Tour itinerary:

25 June – Departure for Derby

6 July – Arrival in Cardiff

8 July – 1st ODI, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

10 July – 2nd ODI, Lord’s, London

13 July – 3rd ODI, Edgbaston, Birmingham

16 July – 1st T20I, Trent Bridge, Nottingham

18 July – 2nd T20I, Headingley, Leeds

20 July – 3rd T20I, Old Trafford, Manchester

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk